Heat exchangers have many industrial uses and are usually, if not always, a necessary component in facilities such as process plants, chemical process plants and manufacturing plants. Many heat exchangers place two fluids in indirect heat exchange, that is, the fluids exchange heat without contacting each other. In many such heat exchangers, one fluid is passed through a number of tubes over which another fluid is flowing. The two fluids exchange heat through the tube walls.
Although heat exchangers which employ a number of heat exchange tubes possibly constitute the most efficient type, they are not without their disadvantages. The movement of the fluids often create vibration and exert other forces on the tubes. In order to stabilize the tubes, they are usually provided with tube supports, that is, structure which extends between the tubes to support them. Tube supports can place a limit on the efficiency of the heat exchanger in that they create a resistance to the flow of fluid passing over the tubes and often decreases the effective heat exchange surface. Further, tube supports can create crevices around the tubes which can result in corrosion.
The degree to which any problem created by tube supports exist depends on a number of factors, for example, in heat exchangers used in Nuclear Power Plants the tubes must be supported to withstand a considerable seismic load. Further, the tubes must be supported against the dynamic loads experienced during shipment to prevent excessive straining.